Individual seed hoppers forming banks of seed hoppers

ABSTRACT

A seeding machine is provided with banks of individual seed hoppers for directing seed to auxiliary seed hoppers located on individual planting units. The individual seed hoppers of each bank are provided with adjoining walls. The adjoining walls have notches so that seed in one individual seed hopper can flow into an adjoining individual seed hopper. A portion of the planting units can be disabled by placing them in a non-working position. The individual seed hoppers supplying seed to the disabled planting units are provided with removable baffles. Each removable baffle is provided with a downwardly extending leg that cooperates with the notches to prevent seed in an active individual hopper from entering an inactive individual hopper.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a bank of individual seed hoppershaving notches between adjoining walls to permit the flow of seedbetween the individual hoppers and removable baffles to prevent the flowbetween the individual hoppers.

BACKGROUNDS OF THE INVENTION

Agricultural implements, like seeding machines, have a wide transverseworking configuration so that the machine covers as much ground aspossible in a single pass. Typically, the seeding machine can be foldedfrom its working configuration into a more manageable transportconfiguration.

Some seeding machines are provided with a frame having a central mainframe segment and two wing frame segments. The central main framesegment is provided with a forwardly extending tow bar for coupling themachine to a tractor. The wing frame segments are pivotally coupled tothe main frame by fore/aft extending axes so that the wings can flexrelative to the main frame to allow the wing frames to more closelyfollow the contour of the ground. Individual planting units are mountedto the frame segments by parallelogram linkages so that the plantingunits can move a limited amount up and down relative to the respectiveframe segment. One method of folding the frame of the seeding machinedescribed above is to forwardly fold the wings along the tow bar.

Typically grain drills and air seeders are used to plant closely spacedcrops. These seeding machines are provided with bulk hoppers, whichtransmits the seed directly to seed meters for metering the flow of seedto the planting furrow. Typical row crop planters have been used toplant crops having wider row spacings. Row crop planters have a seriesof planting units. Each planting unit is provided with an individualseed hopper, a seed meter and a furrow opener. It is also known todirect seed from a bulk hopper towed behind the seeding machine to theindividual hoppers of the planting units by a pneumatic supply system.

To plant on more closely spaced rows it is known to interleave theplanting units. All of the planting units can be used to plant a narrowrow crop or selective planting units can be raised to planter a widerrow crop.

It is also known to pivot planting units on their noses from ahorizontal planting position to a more vertical non-planting position.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A seeding machine comprises a main frame segment and two wing framesegments. In its working configuration the seeding machine extendstransversely. In its transport configuration the wing frame segments arefolded forwardly. All three frame segments are provided with interleavedplanting units forming a front rank of planting units and a rear rank ofplanting units. The rear ranks of planting units are mounted to the wingframe segments by pivot arms that extend downwardly and rearwardly fromthe wing frame segments. The pivot arms are pivotally mounted to thewing frame segments by a rockshaft. The rockshaft is provided with anactuator bell crank that is coupled to a linear actuator for rotatingthe rockshaft relative to the wing frame segments. The pivot arms have aworking position, wherein the planting units are in their workingposition, and a transport position, wherein the planting units have beenpivoted on their noses into their substantially vertical transportposition. By rotated the planting units on the wing frame segments ontheir noses, the transport width of the seeding machine is reduced, whenthe wing frame segments are forwardly folded.

The frame segments are provided with banks of individual seed hoppers.Each of the planting units is provided with an auxiliary seed hopper.The individual seed hoppers feed seed to the auxiliary seed hoppersthrough flexible tubes. One tube extends between one auxiliary seedhopper and one individual seed hopper. The individual seed hoppers ofeach bank are provided with adjoining walls. The adjoining walls havenotches so that the individual hoppers communicate with one another. Inthis way, the bank of seed hoppers can be filled in a bulk fill methodsimilar to grain drills.

The rear rank of planting units can be disabled by placing them in anon-working position. As such, the seeding machine can plant seed in twodifferent row width conditions. When the rear rank of planting units aredisabled, the banks of seed hoppers are provided with removable baffles.Each removable baffle is provided with a leg that cooperates with thenotches to prevent seed in an active individual hopper from entering aninactive individual hopper. When the removable baffles are inserted intothe bank of individual seed hoppers, the individual seed hoppers arefilled in the same manner as row crop planters, that is one at a time.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side view of a seeding machine of the present invention inits working configuration.

FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of a seeding machine of the presentinvention in its working configuration with the planting units raised.

FIG. 3 is a rear perspective view of a seeding machine of the presentinvention in its transport configuration.

FIG. 4 is a left side view of a wing frame segment of the seedingmachine illustrated in FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a left side view of a wing frame segment of the seedingmachine illustrated in FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is a right side view of a wing frame segment of the seedingmachine of the present invention wherein the rear ranks of plantingunits are in their intermediate holding position.

FIG. 7 is a partial cross sectional view taken along line 7—7 of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a bank of seed hoppers of the presentinvention.

FIG. 9 is an exploded view of the bank of seed hopper in FIG. 8 with thedetachable lid.

FIGS. 10 is a cross sectional perspective view of the bank of seedhopper.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIG. 1 is a side view of a towed agricultural implement in the form of aseeding machine 10. The seeding machine 10 is coupled to a tractor by atow bar 12 having a hitch 14. The tow bar 12 extends forwardly from aframe 16. The frame comprises three frame segments, a main frame 18, andleft and right wing frames 19 and 20. The wing frames 19 and 20 can bepivoted relative to the main frame 18 about left and right fore/aftextending pivots 21. These fore/aft extending pivots 21 permit the wingframes 19 and 20 to better follow the contour of the ground as theseeding machine 10 is being pulled through the field. The wing frames 19and 20 can also be folded in a forward manner about vertically extendingpivots, so that the seeding machine 10 assumes the transportconfiguration illustrated in FIG. 3.

Each of the frame segments 18, 19 and 20 are provided with banks of seedhoppers 22. The banks of seed hoppers 22 direct seed to individualplanting units 24 by means of flexible tubes 26. In the illustratedembodiment, each planting unit 24 comprises an auxiliary hopper 28, aseed meter 30, a furrow opener 32, depth gauging wheels 34 and furrowclosing wheels 36. Seed is directed into the auxiliary hopper 28 byflexible tube 26. Seed is then metered by the seed meter 30. In theillustrated embodiment, the seed meter 30 is a vacuum seed meter coupledto a vacuum line 31. The metered seed is then directed to a seed tube,not shown, which directs the seed into the planting furrow formed by thefurrow opener 32. The planting furrow is then closed by the furrowclosing wheels 36, sealing the seed in the closed planting furrow.

The planting units 24 are arranged in a front rank 38 and a rear rank 40on each frame segment 18, 19 and 20. The front ranks 38 of plantingunits 24 are mounted directly to the frame segments 18, 19 and 20, sothe front ranks 38 move with the respective frame segment. Similarly,the rear rank 40 of main frame planting units is mounted to the mainframe segment 18, so they move with the main frame segment 18. The rearranks 40 of planting units 24 mounted on the wing frame segments 19 and20 are mounted to pivot arms 42 that extend downwardly and rearwardlyfrom a rock shaft 44. The rockshaft 44 is rotatably coupled to the wingframe segment 20 by bearings 46. An actuator bell crank 48 that isdriven by linear motor 50 rotates the rockshaft 44. In the illustratedembodiment, the linear motor 50 is a double acting hydraulic cylinder.The front rank 38 and the rear rank 40 of planting units 24 areinterleaved with one another.

The pivot arms 42 can be rotated from their working position,illustrated in FIG. 1, to their transport position, illustrated in FIGS.3 and 5, by the linear motors 50 driving the respective actuator bellcranks 48 of the rock shaft 44. In this way when the wing frame sections19 and 20 are rotated forwardly, as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 5, therear ranks 40 of planting units 24 are rotated into their substantiallyvertical transport position, providing the seeding machine 10 with amore narrow transport width. The rockshaft 44 is provided with drivenbell cranks 45 having lift links 47.

The frame segments 18,19 and 20 are provided with ground support wheels52. The ground support wheels 52 contact the ground when the seedingmachine 10 is in its working configuration. Downpressure to eachplanting unit 24 is applied by a pneumatic downpressure cylinder 54. Thepneumatic downpressure cylinder 54 extends between the main and wingframe segments 18, 19 and 20 and the front rank 38 of planting units 24and main frame segment 18 and the rear rank 40 of planting units 24. Forthe rear rank 40 of planting units 24 on the wing frame segments 19 and20, the pneumatic downpressure cylinder 54 extends between the pivot arm42 and the planting units 24. The pneumatic downpressure cylinders 54engage a parallelogram linkage 56 joining the planting units to therespective frame segments 18 and 20 and pivot arms 42. The parallelogramlinkage 56 allows the planting units 24 to follow the ground relative tothe frame segments 18, 19 and 20 and pivot arms 42.

As the seeding machine is moved from its working configuration to itstransport configuration, the main frame segment 18 ground support wheels52 are extended by hydraulic cylinders 58 raising the frame 16. The wingframe segments 19 and 20 are pivoted forwardly until they engage the towbar 12 with catches 53. The linear motors 50 are extended pivoting therockshafts 44 by means of the actuator bell cranks 48. In this way, thepivot arms 42 and attached planting units 24 are rotated from theirworking position to their transport position.

The seed hoppers 22 are provided with access lids 58 for accessing theinterior of the seed hoppers 22. To fill the seed hoppers 22 theoperator mounts steps 59 onto operator walkway 60 and opens the accesslids 58. The walkway 60 is located above the row units 24 when they arein their working position. The walkway 60 comprises a footboard 61 and awalkway frame 62. The walkway frame 62 is provided with railings 64 andwarning lights 66. The footboard 61 on each of the wing frame segments20 is pivotally coupled to a walkway frame 62 by footboard pin 65. Thewalkway frame 62 is pivotally coupled to the wing frame segments 19 and20 by a walkway frame pin 66. The walkway frame pin 66 defines a secondpivot axis that is parallel to the first pivot axis defined by therockshaft 44. Similarly, the footboard pin 65 defines a third pivot axisthat is parallel to the first and second pivot axes.

As linear motor 50 is extended, it rotates the rockshaft 44 by rotatingdriven bell crank 45 and moving lift link 47. The lift link 47 iscoupled to the walkway frame 62 by lift link pin 68. The lift link 47 isprovided with a lost motion slot 49. The lost motion slot 49 permits thepivot arms 42 to be raised a limited amount before the walkway frame 62is pivoted relative to the wing frame segments 19 and 20. As the liftlink 47 engages the walkway frame 62, the walkway frame 62 and thefootboard 61 are pivoted about the walkway frame axis (second pivotaxis) defined by walkway frame pin 66. Further rotation of the rockshaft44 causes the rear ranks 40 of planting units 24 for the wing framesegments 19 and 20 to butt up against the footboard 61. Bumpers 70mounted to the planting units 24 engage the underside of the footboard61. The bumpers 70 automatically pivot the footboard 61 about thefootboard pivot axis (third pivot axis) defined by footboard pin 65relative to the walkway frame 62. In its final transport position thefootboards 61 are sandwiched between the seed hoppers 22 and the rearranks 40 of planting units 24 for the wing frame segments 19 and 20.

Transversely extending tube supports 72 are pivotally attached to thewing frame segments 19 and 20 by links 74. The tube supports 72 arelocated below the operator walkways 60 and support the flexible tubes 26for the rear ranks 40 of planting units 24. The tube supports 72 rest onthe rockshaft 44 when the seeding machine is in its workingconfiguration. As the pivot arms 42 are pivoted to their transportposition, the pivot arms 42 contact the tube support 72 raising the tubesupports 72 with the pivot arms 42. The tube supports 72 lift theflexible tubes 26 preventing them from kinking when the planting units24 are raised into their transport positions.

As shown in FIG. 6, the seeding machine 10 has a second workingconfiguration wherein the front ranks 38 of planting units 24 are usedfor planting and the second rank of planting units are pivoted upwardlyby the pivot arms 42 into an intermediate holding position. In theintermediate holding position the rear ranks 40 of planting units 24 areno longer in contact with the ground and only the front rank 38 ofplanting units are planting seed. In this way, the front ranks 38 ofplanting units 24 can be used to plant at a wider row spacing then whenthe rear ranks 40 of planting units 24 are employed. For example, whenthe rear ranks 40 are in their intermediate holding position, the frontranks 38 of the planting units 24 can be used to plant corn inthirty-inch rows. When the rear ranks 40 of planting units 24 arelowered the seeding machine 10 can be used to plant soybeans infifteen-inch rows. To maintain the rear ranks 40 of planter units 24 inthe intermediate holding position, a U-shaped stop 76 is provided whichfits over the linear actuator 50 and blocks the retraction of thehydraulic cylinder.

A bank of seed hoppers 22 is best illustrated in FIGS. 8-10. The bank ofseed hoppers 22 comprises a series of individual plastic hoppers 80having adjoining walls 82. The adjoining walls 82 are provided withnotches 84 so that seed can flow from one individual hopper 80 toanother when both the front and rear ranks 38 and 40 of planting units24 are in their working configuration. The notches 84 are outlined by aseal 86 that overlies the adjoining walls 82 of the individual hoppers80. When the rear ranks are raised into their intermediate holdingposition only half the planting units 24 are being used, so thatalternating individual hoppers 80 feed non-working planting units 24. Assuch, the bank of seed hoppers 22 is provided with removable baffles 88having downwardly extending legs 90 that engage the adjoining walls 82of the individual hoppers 80. The downwardly extending legs 90 cooperatewith the notches 84 to seal a working individual hopper 80 from theadjoining non-working individual hopper 80. The legs are provided with ahorizontal cover 94 that prevent seed from being deposited into thenon-working hopper. Please note there are two types of baffles 88, therightmost baffle 88 in FIGS. 8-10 seals an end hopper 80 and the othertwo illustrated baffles 88 seal non-working hoppers 80 located betweenworking hoppers 80. The baffle for the end hopper is provided with onedownwardly extending leg 90, whereas the other two baffles 88 areprovided with two downwardly extending legs. The covers 94 of thebaffles 88 are provided with upwardly extending lips 96. The upwardlyextending lips 96 engage the recessed underside of access lid 58 tobetter fix the position of the baffles 88 relative to the individualhoppers 80. The access lid 58 is pivotally secured to the frame segments18, 19 and 20 by hinge arms 98.

Having described the preferred embodiment, it will become apparent thatvarious modifications can be made without departing from the scope ofthe invention. For example, a mechanical seed meter or a positivepressure pneumatic seed meter may be used in place of the vacuum seedmeter disclosed in the specification above. Similarly, the seed can bedirected to the individual unit hoppers by a pneumatic seed on demandsystem from a central hopper, instead of a using the gravity deliverysystem disclosed in the specification above. Therefore the presentinvention should be limited solely by the claims that follow.

What is claimed is:
 1. A seeding machine comprising: a frame; a bank ofindividual seed hoppers are mounted to the frame, the bank of individualseed hoppers having adjoining walls, the adjoining walls having notchesallowing seed to pass between individual seed hoppers; an access lid ismounted to the bank of individual seed hoppers and provides access tothe individual seed hoppers; planting units are mounted to the frame,each planting unit is provided with an auxiliary hopper for receivingseed from one of the individual hoppers; flexible tubes extend betweenthe individual hoppers and the auxiliary hoppers of the planting unitsfor transmitting seed from the individual hoppers to the planting unitswhereby a portion of the planting units can be placed in a non-workingposition and removable baffles can be inserted into the bank ofindividual hoppers for isolating the individual hoppers associated withthe portion of planting units placed in the non-working position.
 2. Aseeding machine as defined by claim 1 wherein alternating planting unitsare placed in the non-working position and the removable baffles havingdownwardly extending legs are inserted into the bank of individualhoppers to engage the notches sealing the notches of the individualhoppers.
 3. A seeding machine as defined by claim 2 wherein eachremovable baffle is provided with a horizontal cover that extends fromat least one downwardly extending leg.
 4. A seeding machine as definedby claim 3 wherein the horizontal cover is provided with upwardlyextending lips that engage the access lid.
 5. A seeding machine asdefined by claim 4 wherein the access lid has a recessed underside inwhich the upwardly extending lips are received.
 6. A seeding machine asdefined by claim 5 wherein the access lid is pivotally attached to theframe.